Memories In the Rain
by OutlawedAngel
Summary: Ichigo remembers the pale girl he saved and fell in love with, just in time... to see her die. / Sad fic / K  for content / IchiRuki / One-shot


**A/N: **_This is a bit of a sad story and there isn't really a plot. Thanks to the title of the 8th episode for the inspiration :)_

**Disclaimer: **I_ don't own Bleach._

_**.:~*~:.**_

Thunder clapped against the sky. The boy shuddered. The lightning flashed brightly against the darkness of the room, illuminating everything. The boy flinched. As the light faded, shadows cast throughout the space, returning to their previous posts.

As his eyes slid shut, images of a female face lingered faintly behind them. Pale eyelids snapped open to reveal striking amber eyes, bright with confusion. It had been a year now, since the girl had passed. Nearly everyone had forgotten about her completely, so why was he remembering her now?

Ichigo Kuroaki sank back in to his pillows and sighed heavily. He wiped a hand over his tired face and groaned slightly as his fingers brushed over the cut he'd received a few days prior. Ichigo's eyes closed halfway as he recalled the mildly infuriating memory.

_**Flashback**_

_It had been a nice and sunny day as Ichigo walked down Karakura Town's main street on his way home from his Aunt's house. A commotion was heard around the corner, near the Lily Garden Cemetery. It was enough to make him jog the last few meters around the corner and came face to face with three boys, a little older than himself. They were throwing things at a girl, who was cowering in fear in front of them._

_She turned her face ever so slightly to the direction of the sound of his footsteps. At that angle, Ichigo could see almost all of her face, not to mention the blood that seeped from a wound above her eye. As the offending boys stopped their assault for a moment, the girl turned even more, revealing the extent of the multiple cuts and abrasions she'd already received._

_The anger in him swelled, and Ichigo was seeing the slightest tint of red in his vision. What were these boys doing to this poor and defenceless girl? There were no tears being shed, that was as strong as he could see her get. He could tell that she was strong inside, but she was indestructible._

_He was even more angered when one of the boys continued the attack on the poor girl. He stepped up behind the boys and slapped them upside the head to get their attention. Once their attention was focused solely on him, Ichigo drew back his fist and punched each boy squarely in the face. After that, the boys high tailed it to avoid being pummelled again._

_Once the boys were gone, the girl raised her head, and looked at Ichigo with the deepest sapphire eyes, he'd ever seen. She was pale, but not too pale, with short black hair and the brightest smile he'd ever witnessed. She stood up shakily, but confident nonetheless. She stood and looked him in the eye, never blinking._

"_Thank you." A slight pause. "You're welcome."_

_They each held out a hand, and shook it. The girl broke the silence first, "I'm Rukia. Who are you?" Ichigo blushed slightly at the sound of her melodic voice and said, "I'm Ichigo. The girl – Rukia – nodded. Her hand slipped from his and ran through her hair, dislodging the dirt that had found its way up the strands._

_**Pause flashback**  
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Ichigo passed his hand over his tired face again and murmured to himself, "Ah yes, I remember that day as if it was yesterday." And he let himself remember again.

**_Continue Flashback_**

_It was raining, the day she died. The day that he was certain it was his fault. For leaving her for a few minutes, and when he returned she was dead. He'd never even said goodbye. He'd just taken off with a quick "Wait here!" Another mistake he'd made. He'd raced back as fast as his legs would carry him, only to find her lying on the cement . . . breathless . . . cold . . . dead._

_He'd sunk to his knees by her side and screamed her name, trying to make her wake. The dream state he was in, made everything seem like it wasn't real. Like time had come to a standstill. He wasn't thinking. He wasn't really seeing. The girl he lived his life for was dead. Gone. Never to smile at him again._

_Her smile. The glint in her eyes when she thought of something evil. Her laughter when she was tickled. Her sighs when she relaxed after a long and tense day. Everything about her stopped the rain in his heart. Now the rain would return. Harder and louder than ever._

_**End flashback**  
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Tears pricked at the corners of Ichigo's eyes as he imagined her cold and lifeless body in his arms, starting to go rigid. He couldn't leave her memory to drain away, so he held on to her, the only way he knew how.

Her face – the last time he saw her – was peaceful as she lay in her condemned coffin, flowers strewn around her pretty face. No traces of the agony or suffering she'd had moments after she'd being killed. Then there had been tears, her eyes closed tightly.

As Ichigo drifted to sleep, he prayed to whatever god may reside anywhere, to see her face or hear her voice once more. His eyes closed and his breathing evened out, sleep catching him quickly in its misty tendrils.

His thoughts drifted and suddenly his eyes opened with a jolt. But instead of seeing his plain, boring ceiling, he saw a soft and plain blue sky. A girly giggle snapped his head to the right and saw _her_! Rukia. In all her soft hearted glory. She smiled and said quietly, "Never forget . . . But forgive."

Ichigo's hand reached of its own accord and stroked her face softly, to find it pleasingly solid beneath his fingers. She smiled again and leaned in to his touch. She took his hand and placed feather light kisses on each tip.

"Forgive . . . But never forget, Ichigo. I love you."

She started to fade and Ichigo said quietly, "I love you too, Rukia. I promise I'll do ask you say." And she was gone.

Ichigo's eyes flew open again to the boring ceiling of his bedroom. He still felt her feather light touch on his skin and he remembered the words, _"Forgive . . . But never forget." _Ichigo smiled lightly to himself. He closed his eyes and thought long and hard. It wasn't really his fault that she was dead, but it wasn't entirely _not _his fault either.

He would forgive them . . . But only for her. And so . . . The rain in his heart disappeared . . . and so did the hate in his mind.

_**.:~*~:.**_

**A/N: **_And there we have it. Is there a little Review button down there? If there is click on it. It's life-changing._


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